The present invention relates generally to wearable optics for outdoor sporting and recreational activities. More particularly, this invention relates to eyeglass lenses having optical properties optimized for outdoor sporting and recreational activities.
In many sporting or recreational activities, such as golfing, fishing, or hunting, the participant needs to visualize different scenes, including target objects within such scenes, that are typically associated with that activity. The color spectra and ambient lighting associated with different target objects and scenes in recreational activities can vary, whereby a light filtering lens on an eyeglass should provide preferential viewing for certain color spectra under certain light intensity conditions to accommodate a specific scene typically encountered while participating in the activity. Using golf as an example, a scene whereby the shapes and undulations of a green putting surface being studied while preparing to putt would require different filtering properties for the lens as compared to watching a white ball flying through the air against a bright sky background. Although sunglasses exist that provide a variation in total light transmittance from a top portion of the lens to the bottom portion, such prior art lenses are often configured as standard neutral density filters with UV protection. They do not provide varying optical properties that provide preferential viewing to the wearer of the different color spectra associated with different scenes.
Similarly, these different target objects or scenes often exist at distances that vary between scenes or objects in a relatively consistent manner. For example, during a round of golf, the golfer will often have to locate a target green and flag stick at distances from 200-350 yards away. During that same round, the same golfer will be putting after inspecting the shape and topology of a green from a distance of a few yards. If the golfer wears glasses, the focus distances for each of the repetitive scenes are different. However, there are no eyeglasses available that are optimized for focusing at these distances. Conventional bifocals are intended to provide near focus distance for reading a book, not for reading a green or standing over a golf ball.
In other recreational activities such as fishing, having a lens that incorporates different optical zones having different polarization properties can also be beneficial.
What is needed, then, is an eyeglass lens that provides a visual perception to the wearer that can vary depending on: (1) the distance between the wearer and the object being viewed; (2) the color spectra of the viewed objects and related foreground and background scenes; (3) the ambient lighting conditions; and/or light polarization.
The novel eyeglass lens of this invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a lens body that includes one or more optical zones having one or more optical properties optimized for use in specific sporting and/or outdoor activities. The different optical zones are positioned within or on the body of the lens such that changes in orientation of the head, or a change in position or size of the pupil of the wearer""s eye with respect to the lens and different scenes (including target objects) can vary the optical properties of the lens as perceived by the wearer, including focus distance, total visible light transmittance, visible light transmission spectrum, and/or polarization.
In one embodiment of the invention, an eyeglass lens has a lens body with a first optical zone positioned in an upper portion of the lens body, adjacent to a second optical zone positioned in a lower portion of the lens body. The first optical zone has a first focus property that allows the wearer to preferentially view a second typical distant scene associated with golf, such as a locating the green and flagstick prior to driving or hitting a long iron off the fairway. The second optical zone has a second focus property that allows the wearer to preferentially view a first typical close-in scene associated with a specific recreational activity, such as observing the shapes and curves of a golf green while putting. When the user (i.e., a golfer) is preparing to drive, he typically will rotate his eyes upward to look down the fairway towards the target area. This eye movement will orient the pupil of the eye so that most of the light reflected from the distant target scene will pass through the upper or first optical zone. When putting or preparing to putt, or when addressing the ball to drive, the golfer will typically re-position the pupil of the eye downward so that a greater percentage of the light reflected from the close-in scene will pass through the lower, second optical zone. This will allow the golfer to more precisely focus on objects and backgrounds in such a close-in scene.
Further, the first and second optical zones can also have different color filtering properties, i.e., different visible light transmission spectra. The transmission spectra for the first optical zone can be optimized so that a white golf ball in flight against a brightly lit sky background is easier to see. The color filter property of the second optical zone can be optimized so that changes in the shape or slope of the putting green when viewed from a close in location and under lower intensity light are more easily observed. The differences in color filter properties between the first and second filter zones thus can include variations in filter spectra as well as variations in total light transmittance through that portion of the lens. Accordingly, as the golfer""s eyes change orientation as they are rotated up and down with respect to the position of the lens, the arrangement of the first and second optical zones provides both a focus property and a color filter property that are optimized for different scenes, including specific objects, backgrounds, and foregrounds.
The different optical zones in the lens can be arranged in a typical bifocal fashion, with an abrupt line or gradual transition between an upper and a lower zone. Alternatively, the second optical zone can be an oval or circle positioned in a specific location within the lens body.